Over the years NFL football has slowly grown into my favorite sport to watch. I still follow MLB more closely but I can watch literally any NFL game and be thoroughly entertained. To me the parity of the NFL separates it from the college game. Also with the upcoming expansion of the college football playoffs I think NCAA football loses some of the “every game matters” aspect that made it so great. The NFL has always been a quarterback-centric game but I think it’s even more so now. This can be evidenced by the constant rewriting of passing records, by the number of teams employing running back committees (if you play fantasy football, you know this all too well), and by the decrease of both running back salaries and draft positions. NFL quarterback is arguably the most important position in sports and such a premier position warranted a little extra attention. I’ve increased my usual 10 player format to 12 for this list of The Top NFL Quarterbacks…Of My Lifetime.

12. Aaron Rodgers

If I revisit this list in the future I’m fairly certain that Patrick Mahomes will be included. But for now Aaron Rodgers is the only active quarterback to make an appearance. Rodgers might very well be the most talented quarterback of all-time. He had all the tools. Rocket arm, mobility to hurt a defense scrambling, accuracy, intelligence, poise, clutch factor. Yes, Rodgers had it all and parlayed it into a sure fire Hall of Fame career. After sitting under Brett Favre’s learning tree for the first three years of his career, Rodgers took the qb reins in Green Bay in 2008. He proceeded to make 10 Pro Bowls, garner 4 All-Pro selections, 4 MVPs and led the Pack to a Super Bowl Championship in 2010. Rodgers was always a pleasure to watch and it was disappointing to see him go down with a torn ACL during his first game with the New York Jets in the next chapter of his storied career. We will have to wait and see what the future holds for Mr. Rodgers but for now we can appreciate his heroic heaving of hail marys and his iconic discount double check touchdown celebrations.

11. Drew Brees

After putting up prolific passing numbers at Purdue, Drew Brees was taken with the first pick in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He fell in the draft from a projected first-rounder due to concerns about his height. He started his career as the backup to another quarterback that was shorter in stature, Doug Flutie. Brees took over the starting job the following season. He put up solid numbers in San Diego but didn’t really break out as an NFL quarterback until he signed with New Orleans in 2006 and was paired with offensive minded coach Sean Peyton. It turned out to be a perfect passing attack match as Brees led the league in passing yards for what would be the first of seven times in his career. Brees went on to play in the NFL for 20 seasons, highlighted by 13 Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl Championship in 2009. He is in the top 5 of virtually ever passing statistic in league history. Not bad for a player that most teams thought was too short to be an effective NFL quarterback.

10. Steve Young

Steve Young had a different journey to NFL quarterback stardom than most players. After a stellar career at college quarterback factory BYU, Young elected to take his talents to the USFL instead of entering into the NFL Draft. The USFL turned out to be quite the fiasco and Young signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being selected in a supplemental draft. He played two dismal seasons in Tampa Bay before being dealt to the 49ers after Tampa Bay selected Vinny Testaverde with the 1st overall pick in the 1987 NFL Draft. He served as the backup to legendary 49ers qb Joe Montana (foreshadowing anyone?) for four years before finally getting his chance to take over as the starter after Montana was forced to miss the entire 1991 season due to injury. Young had a decent season but San Francisco missed the playoffs and it seemed as though Young’s starting job might be in jeopardy. All Young did was go out and win the 1992 MVP Award. This set up a divided locker room the following year when Montana was finally healthy. San Francisco ended up trading Montana to the Chiefs and Young would be the starting qb of the 49ers for the remainder of his career. Young captured his second MVP in 1994 while leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl title. He made 7 Pro Bowls during his career and is was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005. Young’s playmaking ability with both his left arm and legs made him one of my favorite players to watch. He produced many memorable moments quarterbacking the great 49ers teams of the 90s.

9. Dan Marino

The man with perhaps the quickest pass release in NFL history, Dan Marino. Marino was drafted 27th overall by the Miami Dolphins in the legendary quarterback draft class of 1983. Incredibly, he was the 6th quarterback selected. He took over the starting job in Week 6 and immediately began setting NFL passing records. In his second year he set then NFL single season passing records for touchdown passes, passing yards and pass completions on his way to winning the MVP Award. He led the Dolphins to the Super Bowl that season but would ultimately come up short to the 49ers. It would sadly be Marino’s lone Super Bowl appearance and his lack of a championship perhaps slightly tarnishes his overall legacy. Title or not, throughout his career he was always one of the game’s most prolific passers. He led the league in passing yards 5 seasons, made 9 Pro Bowls, was a 3 time All-Pro and is a Hall of Famer. Marino was always a favorite of mine because he seemed to be able to make throws that other quarterbacks couldn’t. It was a joy to see him zip the football all around The Orange Bowl, delivering dimes to Mark Clayton and Mark Duper.

8. Michael Vick

My NFL team fandom has admittedly shifted a little throughout the years. My dad was always a Falcons fan so that made me a de facto Falcons fan. I’ll discuss more of my teams a little further down the list but you could say that Falcons were always my primary team growing up. They never really had seriously competitive teams during my childhood but they always had exciting players. Deion Sanders, Andre Rison, Jessie Tuggle, Tim Dwight, Keith Brooking, Jamaal Anderson. Notice the lack of quarterbacks. Sure Chris Miller and Chris Chandler were serviceable but hardly elite and certainly not exciting. That all changed when the franchise traded up to get the first pick of the 2001 NFL Draft and selected Micheal Vick. Vick was special. He was arguably the most athletic quarterback to ever play the position. He was faster than most wide receivers in the league with a cannon for a left arm. Vick threw lasers down the field with a simple flick of his wrist. He took the league and the city of Atlanta by storm. The atmosphere at the Georgia Dome during the Vick era was unlike any other that I’ve experienced at a sporting event. Everybody in attendance was amped in anticipation of seeing something they’d never seen in a football game and more often than not, Vick delivered exactly that. Falcons games became an event. Me and my friends somehow acquired a huge billboard sized vinyl Falcons Budweiser poster that we would place on the roof on Sundays. We thought it was the coolest thing ever, and it kinda was. Besides being the most exciting player in the league, Vick was productive, as he led the team on 2 memorable playoff runs and made 3 Pro Bowls with the Falcons. Then it all came crashing down. Right before the 2007 season was set to begin, Vick pleaded guilty to federal charges in a dog fighting investigation and was suspended indefinitely while awaiting trial. The Falcons subsequently released Vick and ultimately ended my Falcons fandom as I shifted my allegiance to Indianapolis with the Colts. Vick would make a comeback after being released from prison. First with the Eagles where he had one of the most memorable Monday Night Football performances in history and made a Pro Bowl in 2010, then later with the Jets and Steelers. It was good to see the redemption story of Vick and he remains one of the biggest “what could have been” players in sports history. He makes the list because he was simply the most exciting NFL quarterback…Of My Lifetime.

7. John Elway

Next up we have another legendary quarterback who wore number 7 and another member of the “Quarterback Class of 1983,” John Elway. Elway was in fact drafted first overall in the 1983 NFL Draft by the then Baltimore Colts. He famously did not want to play for the Colts and basically forced a trade by vowing to go play baseball for the New York Yankees, who drafted Elway in the second round of the 1981 MLB Draft. Elway was traded to the Denver Broncos and went on to play the entirety of his 16 year Hall of Fame career with the franchise. Early in his career Elway became known for having a knack for leading come from behind wins. He put this on display in the 1986 AFC Championship Game against the Browns in Cleveland, in front of the hostile Dawg Pound crowd. With 5 minutes left in the game and the Broncos trailing 20-13, Elway took his team 98 yards on a methodical march down the field that culminated with a touchdown pass to Mark Jackson with just 39 seconds left on the clock. The series became known as “The Drive” and Elway’s legend began to gain traction. Throughout his career he authored 31 comebacks and 40 game-winning drives. Despite his propensity to come through in the clutch, Elway was also labeled as a quarterback who couldn’t win the big one. He took Denver to the Super Bowl in 1986, 87 and 89 but was 0-3 with just 2 total touchdowns compared to 6 interceptions. Elway was finally able to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in 1997 and then again in 1998. It was good to see him get the monkey off his back and put the final piece of his legacy into place. Elway was always one of my favorite quarterbacks because of his clutch factor, his pigeon-toed athleticism and because he had his own Nintendo game, John Elway’s Quarterback, which I spent numerous hours playing in my youth.

6. Joe Montana

Speaking of quarterbacks who had their own video game, I present to you the quarterback of the 1980’s, Joe Montana. As a kid growing up in the 80’s, Joe Montana was the guy. If you were outside throwing the football with your buddy during that time you probably exclaimed the phrase “Montana to Rice!” as you connected on an imaginary touchdown pass. That duo was one of the most prolific and successful in NFL history. The 49ers won 4 Super Bowl titles during the 80’s and Montana was at the helm for each of them, taking home 3 Super Bowl MVPs. Although the NFL game was played a little differently back then, Montana still put up impressive passing numbers. However, he wasn’t necessarily known for his passing numbers so much as he was known for his ability to perform his best in pressure situations. It earned him the nickname “Joe Cool” as well as 2 MVP Awards, 8 Pro Bowls and 5 All-Pro selections. Montana ended his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, playing with the team for two seasons and leading them to the playoffs both years. It was odd to see him in a Chiefs uniform and wearing the number 19 on his jersey instead of the 16 he donned in San Francisco during the 49ers glory years. I was never really much of a Montana fan but he was an all-time great and stands out because he was in most of the first Super Bowls I remember, winning them.

5. Jim Kelly

If Joe Montana was the quarterback of the 80’s then Jim Kelly was the quarterback of the 90’s. Or at least the early 90’s. Kelly was the leader of the tremendous Buffalo Bills teams of that time frame that won 6 consecutive division titles and went to 4 consecutive Super Bowls from 1991-1994. Those teams were a lot like the Oakland A’s of the late 80’s, filled with stars and possessing a certain cool factor. I for one, was squarely on the bandwagon back then, primarily because of Jim Kelly. I was a fan of how he operated Buffalo’s “K-Gun” no-huddle offense. Kelly was no doubt my favorite player during that time period. One of my most prized possessions as a kid was a giant Jim Kelly poster that I won at the Georgia National Fair by shooting mini-hoops. Unfortunately Kelly and the Bills could never win the Super Bowl and became something of a punchline as a result of losing 4 straight. It never deterred me from rooting for Kelly and he remained my favorite player until he hung up his patented fanny-pack hand warmer in 1996.

4. Brett Favre

Brett Favre was a cowboy of a quarterback. He was the ultimate gunslinger. He was tough and gritty. He was cool, calm and collected during any showdown. He had that southern drawl and he wore Wranglers. All he was missing was two six-shooters hanging from his waist but he made up for that with his weapon of a right arm. Favre is best known for throwing frozen ropes all over the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field for the Green Bay Packers 16 seasons of his 20-year career. There wasn’t a throw on the field that Favre didn’t think he could make and he put that mindset on display, retiring as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes as well as interceptions. Favre was NFL MVP three times, made 11 Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Hall of Fame after his retirement in 2011. He led the Packers to a Super Bowl title in 1996. Favre is also the NFL’s Ironman, starting an unbelievable record 297 consecutive games. I always liked the way Favre played the game with supreme confidence in his right arm, with a backyard football mentality and with an unmatched toughness.

3. Andrew Luck

Andrew Luck doesn’t necessarily fit in with the rest of the quarterbacks on this list. But he definitely belongs. The Colts took over sole ownership of my NFL fandom after the aforementioned Michael Vick was suspended indefinitely. After Peyton Manning missed the 2011 season with a neck injury the Colts released him and my Indianapolis fandom was in a bad state. Then along came Andrew Luck with the first pick of the 2012 NFL Draft. Luck was heralded as the best quarterback prospect since Manning. I remember the excitement heading up to that year’s draft and the prospect of the Colts getting another generational quarterback. Things changed for me a little before draft day. After several members of my family were unable to get my Nana on the phone, me and my older brother Lee went over to her house to check on her. We found her slumped over beside her bed and called 911. She was in the ER for a few days but by the time the draft rolled around she was on hospice. A few years prior in 2010 the NFL moved the first round of the draft to Thursday night. I remember going to see Nana in the hospice facility in 2012 and turning on the draft as a distraction. The only thing that took my mind off of Nana for a little while was Andrew Luck getting drafted first overall. It was yet another example of the power of sports. As for on the field, Luck had a brief but brilliant NFL career. He played six seasons for the Colts, missing the entire 2017 with a shoulder injury. During those six seasons Luck produced many memories for me. One that stands out to me was his performance during the Wild Card Round of the 2013 playoffs against the Kansas City Chiefs. It was the early game on Saturday and I was stuck at work. I was already in a bad mood because I was working and couldn’t watch the game and when I checked the score on my phone the Colts were down by 28. Then I was really ticked off. Much to my surprise the next time I checked the score, the Colts had made an amazing comeback. I found a suitable place to hide and watched the remainder of the 45-44 victory in joyous disbelief. Another Luck memory I have is a bittersweet one. Me and my friend Josh, who was also a Colts fan, got tickets to see the Colts at Jaguars in 2015. Luck however was injured and couldn’t play that day. We drove down to Jacksonville and proceeded to watch the Colts get destroyed 51-16. Nevertheless we had a great time and it’s a priceless memory I have with my buddy “Horn” who passed away from cancer in 2019. During his six seasons Luck made four Pro Bowls and led the Colts to the playoffs four times. Shockingly just days before the kickoff of the 2019 season, Andrew Luck announced his retirement from football. People who know me know that Luck was my guy and I had so many texts and calls come in that I felt like Adam Schefter. I was disappointed to see him call it quits but understood his decision. Regardless, Andrew Luck will always be one of my favorite athletes…Of My Lifetime.

2. Tom Brady

I know, I know, it’s blasphemous to have an NFL quarterbacks list and not have Brady in the number 1 spot. Even I can’t deny that Brady is truly the GOAT. His career accomplishments are unmatched. One of the most debated NFL topics was always Brady or Manning. I guess you can surmise by my rankings which way I leaned on that issue. But I grew to appreciate Brady’s greatness and actually became a fan. Brady was the ultimate underdog story. He was drafted in the 6th round in the 2000 draft and nobody projected him to be much more than a career backup. He started his career as the 4th-string quarterback on the depth chart but by the end of his rookie season he’d elevated himself to 2nd. Brady would see his first action as a starter in Week 3 of the 2001 season after Drew Bledsoe was unable to play due to injury. Brady led the Patriots to victory and embarked on what would become the most legendary career for an NFL quarterback in the history of the league. Brady holds all the major quarterback records, to list them all would be a daunting task that I’m unwilling to partake of. He has also been involved in some of the most memorable games in league history, many of them Super Bowls. Brady’s first 3 Super Bowl rings came in dramatic games against the Rams in 2001, the Panthers in 2003 and the Eagles in 2004. He followed those 3 appearances with back-to-back losses to the Giants in 2007 (David Tyree) and 2011. Then came two more rings in 2014 (Beast Mode) against the Seahawks and 2016 against the Falcons (28-3). The latter for me is what truly made Brady the GOAT. It was the most improbable comeback imaginable. It gave him his 5th ring, making his Super Bowl record 5-2, which is enormous when compared to 4-3. It really changed everything and even the staunchest Manning supporters, such as myself, could not refute the evidence. Brady went on to add two more Super Bowl rings in 2018 against the Rams and then his 7th while quarterbacking for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. We may never see another quarterback accomplish as much as Brady did during his 23 year career and who knows, we might not have even seen him play his final game yet.

1. Peyton Manning

It would take a special quarterback to top Tom Brady on the list and Peyton Manning was exactly that. Manning was perhaps the most heralded quarterback prospect in league history before being drafted first overall by the Colts in the 1998 draft. I would say that he lived up to the hype with a Hall of Fame career that included 5 NFL MVPs, 14 Pro Bowls, and 2 Super Bowl titles, among a litany of other awards and NFL records. Peyton was always my favorite player. I liked him so much that I shifted my allegiance to Indianapolis because of him and it remains there to this day. The Colts always had some of my favorite players. Eric Dickerson, Jim Harbaugh, Jeff George, Marshall Faulk. So when they drafted Manning they basically drafted me as a fan with him. Manning changed the way that the quarterback position was played in the NFL. He understood defenses, blitzes and coverages so well that he called plays at the line of scrimmage like an offensive coordinator and quarterback in one person. He had the arm accuracy to anticipate plays and throw his receivers open. This was especially evident after his career threatening neck injury. After missing the entire 2011 due to the injury, he signed with the Broncos as a free agent. It was obvious that his arm strength was diminished and watching him play the position at such a high level after his athletic skills had lessened was art. Manning won his 5th MVP, his second ring and set the single season passing touchdown record in Denver. After his career was in jeopardy of ending and for the first time in his life his skills as a quarterback were in question, Manning played as well as ever. I became an even bigger fan and enjoyed watching his twilight years in Denver almost as much as his prime in Indianapolis. The way Manning mastered the position makes him The Top NFL Quarterback…Of My Lifetime.